Ei-iE

Nearly twenty postgraduate students have benefited from the Mary Hatwood Futrell Scholarship Fund since its inception in 2005. The fund is sponsored by Education International in honour of Mary Hatwood Futrell who was the founding President (1993-2004).

The purpose of the scholarship fund is to provide tuition and related support to eligible students in the field of education at Master’s Level. Qualifying candidates should be pursuing programmes in line with the aims and principles of EI and should be committed to contributing to the quality of education in their own country or at the international level.

Scholarships are awarded to students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds with a record of exceptional academic achievement. Gender equity is taken into account when selecting the beneficiaries.

The fund was initially assigned to George Washington University, in Washington DC, because Futrell was Dean of Education at that institution. In 2008, it was re-assigned to two universities in Africa, University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, and, Nairobi University in Kenya. Currently, the fund supports the education of six students (three at each university) and four of them are young women. Three of the students are doing a Master’s in Early Childhood Education and the rest in Inclusive Education, Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology, respectively. All the students have been performing very well and will be completing their studies this year.

Peter Pausigere, a scholarship recipient from the Wits School of Education at the University of the Witwatersrand, wrote a letter thanking EI for the grant. Peter is a Zimbabwean national who migrated to South Africa following his native country’s economic and political problems. Pausigere says it would have been difficult for him to pursue further studies without sponsorship. He used the grant to pay his tuition fees, purchase academic materials and carry out field work. He also used the money to pay for accommodation, meals and other basic necessities. Peter concluded his letter by saying, “There is no doubt that the scholarship you awarded us had both academic and personal benefits that enabled us to achieve higher grades in our Master’s studies. I am thankful and grateful to your kind sponsorship.”

Other beneficiaries from the Wits School of Education include Zelna Cloete from South Africa, and Ceyline Tebid from Cameroon.

Meanwhile, Mary Hatwood Futrell will be stepping down as Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University. A benefit tribute to honour her services as Dean (1995-2010) was held on 15 April, 2010. The event was attended by many distinguished guests who included members of the American House of Representatives, Jim Moran and Bobby Scott. The former Governor of Virginia, Doug Wilder, delivered the keynote address, which was followed by a presentation to Futrell. EI was represented by Vice President Reg Weaver.

In tribute to Futrell’s outstanding leadership and service, the University has now established its own scholarship fund with the National Education Association (where she was President). Futrell’s benefit tribute was also used to generate additional financial resources to increase the monetary value of the fund.

EI General Secretary, Fred van Leeuwen, described Mary Hatwood Futrell as the driving force behind the unification of the international teacher’s movement in the 1990s. In his message he said: “Today EI owes its ability to defend and protect teachers’ rights and interests around the globe to Mary’s unwavering commitment to the ideals of democracy, freedom and social justice. She never failed to challenge governments to provide access to education for all children without discrimination. To many teachers around the world, Mary has been an inspiration and a role model.”

By Dennis Sinyolo.

This article was published in Worlds of Education, Issue 34, June 2010.